Returning Players = No New NUFC Signings

Each time Alan Pardew says 'When I have all my big players back...' it makes the likelihood of new signings look more and more unlikely. Unfortunately, I can hear all too well in May something along the lines of 'If only I'd had my big players available...'.

When Alan Pardew talks so regularly about our better players coming back to fitness, am I the only one whose heart sinks?

We are now getting almost daily updates and some days players are very likely to be back for Norwich (or whatever the next game is) and then the next day they might need a bit longer but such and such could be ready for Norwich…

I can’t help but feel that these public utterances are largely to do with trying to put a positive spin on Newcastle’s dire situation and each time Alan Pardew says ‘When I have all my big players back…’ it makes the likelihood of new signings look more and more unlikely.

Every manager could talk about if only he had his best eleven available but in the real world it is rare for everybody to be fit at the same time and so it is down you deal with it and what you put in place to deal with it.

You can’t predict who will get injured and when, it is beyond your control, what isn’t beyond your control though is to have players in place who can come inn and do a decent job when those injuries come along.

Newcastle do not have those players with very very few exceptions, so it is a total red herring to suggest that players becoming available again makes one bit of difference to the obvious, we need more players who are capable of playing in the first team, now.

Unfortunately, I can hear all too well in May something along the lines of ‘If only I’d had my big players available…’.